Councils across the south west are teaming up to ensure the entire peninsula benefits from the Government’s planned £4.4 billion investment in HMNB Devonport and Dockyard.
Plymouth, Devon, Cornwall and Torbay councils have agreed how they will work together to ensure the region grasps the opportunities – and address the challenges – that a rapid expansion of defence related employment and investment will present.
The investment in Devonport, which supports the national defence endeavour and the Continuous at Sea Deterrent, is supported by Plymouth’s designation as a Defence Growth Area and the UK National Centre for Marine Autonomy.
The investment will bring a significant increase in need for more skilled employees, as well as more housing, expanded transport infrastructure and greater focus on innovation.
Council leaders from all four authorities have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will ensure a collaborative, cross-boundary approach is taken across all these areas, as well as a joined-up approach to addressing potential barriers and challenges that the scale and pace of the change will present.
The key areas of collaboration outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding include:
Skills and workforce development
The councils will work with further education institutions and training providers across the region to ensure residents can gain the skills needed to take advantage of the employment opportunities, while recognising the specific needs and challenges in different communities.
They will work with employers and skills providers to co-design provision that reflects the needs of priority sectors such as defence, marine, construction, engineering and associated supply chains. They have also collaborated on a business case for locating a defence technical college in the region.
Transport and connectivity
Improving transport and connectivity is vital to ensuring the expanding workforce can access employment opportunities. Joint working by the councils will include developing a strategy to increase the proportion of the population able to access employment opportunities at Devonport within a one-hour commute. They will also collaborate on priorities such as the creation of a rail link between Tavistock and Plymouth.
Co-ordinating local plans and housing policy
The councils will work together to develop a joint pipeline of housing construction and infrastructure development to support the larger workforce needed to support the investment in Devonport and associated industries. This will include coordinating local plans and working together to help accelerate developments at Sherford and Treledan in Saltash.
Increasing innovation and business productivity
All four councils will work together to support and maximise the expected growth in key sectors and the benefits for the supply chain across the south west. This will include a business case for an innovation investment programme to accelerate the growth in the marine, construction and defence sectors and increase growth and innovation in the supply chain.
Joint work will also include identifying commercial and industrial land and working together to bring forward sites that support the growth of priority sectors. There will also be joined-up marketing of investment opportunities in key sectors, such as marine, construction and defence and joint working to coordinate aviation and marine test facilities for the development of autonomous systems.
Plymouth City Council Leader Tudor Evans OBE said: “The scale of the investment in Devonport and the economic and social opportunities it presents are mind blowing. It will provide a once-in-a-generation opportunity to supercharge economic growth not just in Plymouth, but across the south west peninsula.
“We have already formed the Team Plymouth partnership with the MOD, Babcock and wider partners such as Plymouth University and City College Plymouth to ensure that we work as one city we can step up to the challenge. This new agreement with our partner councils across the peninsula will ensure we take the same joined-up approach to ensuring the benefits are felt by residents and businesses across the region.
“By working together we can make sure residents across Devon and Cornwall and Torbay can access these opportunities – not just in defence but in wider supply chains including marine autonomy and construction.”
Leader of Devon County Council, Councillor Julian Brazil said: “This investment is a major opportunity for the whole of Devon. By working together across council boundaries, we can make sure communities from our towns and cities to our rural heartlands feel the benefit – through stronger supply chains, better connectivity and real, long-term economic growth. Crucially, it will help create clear training pathways for young people, with more apprenticeships and high-quality, skilled jobs so that local talent can build a future here in Devon.”
Councillor Leigh Frost, Leader of Cornwall Council, said: “The Defence Growth Deal represents a transformative opportunity for Cornwall to align with a £4.4 billion regional investment in HMNB Devonport and associated defence infrastructure over the next decade. This investment will catalyse job creation across defence, construction, engineering, marine autonomy, and associated supply chains/sectors that are critical to Cornwall’s economic future. It is a specific and clear example of how Cornwall Council will continue to work collaboratively with our near neighbours to benefit our residents.”
Cllr David Thomas, Leader of Torbay Council, said: “Torbay is proud to be part of this collective commitment to maximise the opportunities that this major defence investment will bring to our region. We know that no single authority can address the scale and pace of change alone, and by working together we can make sure our communities benefit from new skills, new jobs and stronger infrastructure. This agreement strengthens our shared resolve to plan effectively, remove barriers and support sustainable growth. We will continue to work with our partners across the peninsula to ensure Torbay plays a full part in shaping and securing long-term success for our residents and businesses.”
Minister for Devolution, Miatta Fahnbulleh said: “This is a major milestone for this region and shows what can be achieved when local leaders come together with a shared purpose in mind. This partnership will help support Team Plymouth’s mission to ensure the area thrives, building on the once-in a generation defence investment at His Majesty’s Naval Base at Devonport. It will support the transformation of Plymouth into a vibrant connected city and ensure the region feels the benefit.”
